Silent Night
Silent Night is a Christmas themed prequel short story set in Furnace Penitentiary, two months before the events of Lockdown, exploring Donovan's past. Synopsis It's nearly Christmas-at least, that's what the inmates of Furnace Penitentiary think, even though it's impossible to tell for sure when you're buried a mile beneath the ground. For one prisoner, Carl Donovan, it's the perfect time to put a dangerous plan into action-a plan that could beat the infernal prison once and for all. But for the plan to work, Donovan must overcome the blacksuits, fight the gangs, avoid the Warden and his wheezers, and-most difficult of all-convince his cellmates to join him. As Furnace boils into a festive season of violence and death, Donovan risks everything for one last chance at freedom. A prequel story set inside the Escape From Furnace universe, Silent Night shows Carl Donovan as you've never seen him before. Prepare for an unforgettable Christmas. All for one, and let's get some figgy pudding. Plot Summary Hidden in his cell and certain that is Christmas miles above their heads, Adam, Batek, and Donovan agree to enact on Donovan's risky plan during hard labour, gathering what he needs with the utmost secrecy. In the chipping halls assigned to Room Two, Donovan is tasked with stealing the shaft of a pickaxe without being noticed. While he finds a mean to unscrew the metal head, he needs to cook up a distraction, doing so by approaching members of the Leopard gang. Donovan tells one of the gangsters that a couple of the members of the Fifty-Niners were bad mouthing him, leaving in time to avoid the fight. While the fight gets the blacksuits attention and time for Donovan to start unscrewing the pickaxe, one of the gangsters accidentally snaps one of the wooden props supporting the ceiling. With just one broken prop, the ceiling of Room Two begins to cave in on itself, forcing Donovan along with every other inmate inside to scramble for safety. Donovan rendezvous with Adam, explaining the commotion in Room Two, with a new fear that word will come around of him starting the fight. Nonetheless, he still manages to smuggle the wooden pickaxe shaft out with him, hiding it in his mattress. Adam was also able to go forward with their plan, having smuggled five different shanks out of cells during his clean up duty. The two meet up with Batek during the meal break. With Christmas on the forefront of their minds, the three each exchange stories of how they celebrated Christmas back at home. Donovan reveals his love of burgers comes from the tradition he and his mother followed for their Christmas dinner, substituting burgers over turkey. He also reveals how he and his mother had to hide their traditions and songs when her abusive boyfriend Ryan would forbid it in their home. Hearing Donovan's story, Adam stresses even more so how important it was for them to follow through with their plan. The next morning, Donovan is assigned to kitchen duty, hoping to stay away from being targeted by the gangs. He is proven hopelessly wrong. During hard labour, Donovan is confronted by Ambrose Pope - the original leader of the Skulls - alongside Santiago, the chief leader of the Leopards. Ambrose questions Donovan for uncharacteristically starting such a mess with the Leopards, Donovan denying this and maintaining his neutrality. Donovan then claims that Santiago is trying to backstab Ambrose, seeking to rule the prison with the Leopards. Although Santiago calls Donovan out for lying, Ambrose seems to start believing Donovan. Ultimately, Ambrose remains conflicted and instead gives permission for Santiago to fight Donovan. The fight is brutal and quick, ending with Santiago stabbing Donovan in the stomach, and Donovan managing to knock out Santiago with one of the cast iron kitchen pots. Ambrose is impressed by Donovan's skill, offering him a place in his gang as he decides on what to do with Santiago. Donovan declines, but is confronted by Ambrose again, who has caught wind that Donovan, Adam, and Batek are all working on a secret plan together, deciding he will be back to cash in on it with them. Struggling with his injuries, Donovan manages to make it through hard labour uninterrupted and leaves with a package he'd put together with the scraps of rotting food in the kitchen. Arriving back to his cell, Adam assists Donovan in resting after hearing how the fight had gone down. With a possible gang war brewing between the Leopards and the Skulls, Adam and Donovan agree to enact their plan by tomorrow. The two spend the rest of their evening in their cell together, side by side on the bottom bunk. Adam opens up about how he'd been literally stabbed in the back when he was in juvie, and how he'd vowed to become a better person, only to end up rotting in Furnace. Donovan wonders if there really is anything worth living for down here, to which Adam stresses that keeping your heart with you and not losing it is what keeps you alive. The morning after, Adam, Donovan, and Batek agree to meet up after hard labour, given that Batek has recovered the final pieces for their plan. Donovan makes an impromptu escape at the sight of the Leopards, only to be stopped by Ambrose and his lieutenant Kevin Arnold, the two reminding Donovan to keep them looped in on Donovan's plan. In hard labour, Donovan is assigned to Room One in the chipping halls with Ambrose and a few other members of the Skulls, the Leopards reluctantly being assigned to the reopened Room Two. During chipping, Ambrose and his gang members leave Room One, and what shortly follows is another cave in. Donovan manages to escape the chipping halls as Room Two collapses, Ambrose thanking him for giving him the idea to take out the Leopards once and for all. A lockdown ensues, sending every inmate scrambling back to their cells. Adam tries to dissuade Donovan from taking burden of the deaths in Room Two, who doesn't quite believe him. However, the inmates of Furnace are greeted with the presence of Warden Cross, who steps out into the yard and addresses the thirty-three deaths in Room Two. Due to the fact that this was a planned plot, he closes off the trough room for the next twenty four hours. Adam takes this as a sign to hold off on their plan, but Donovan insists to go through with it. Batek joins them later in the evening as all three boys use what they've taken from hard labour; the wooden pick axe shaft, the five shanks, the rotting food from the kitchen, and scraps of linen from laundry to put together their masterpiece: a Christmas tree. As they admire their work, Ambrose and Kevin catch them in the act, absolutely angered and puzzled by the fact that Donovan went through all that effort for a lousy Christmas tree. When Donovan insists that it's truly Christmas time, Ambrose stops in his tracks, and after thoughtful consideration, gives Donovan his Skull bandana to use an angel on top. He wishes Donovan a merry Christmas, and leaves with Kevin in tow. All three boys burst out in incredulous laughter at this bizarre turn of events, but stand together in sweet solidarity over this little tree. Overcome with emotion, Donovan finds himself singing Silent Night, his voice carrying out and the song spreading throughout the prison as each inmate jumps into the song. - - - It is revealed after the fact that Adam is taken in a Blood Watch two weeks later after this event. The night after Adam is taken, Kevin kills Ambrose in his sleep, and the day after murders Batek along with three other inmates. The events of Silent Night all take place two months before Alex Sawyer arrives at Furnace Penitentiary Characters * Carl Donovan * Adam * Batek * Ambrose Pope * Kevin Arnold * Santiago * Figi * Warden Cross Category:Books Category:Escape From Furnace